Amanah confirms Suhaizan as Pulai by-election candidate, names Bakri deputy chief for Simpang Jeram

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 19 — Parti Amanah Negara has today named former Johor Speaker Suhaizan Kaiat as the Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate for the Pulai parliamentary by-election, finally confirming weeks of speculation.

Amanah president Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu also named civil engineer and Bakri Amanah division deputy chief Nazri Abdul Rahman as PH’s candidate for the Simpang Jeram state seat by-election.

“After taking into account of all the factors and views from the committee, I hereby announce that the two candidates will represent Amanah and PH, as well as the unity government.

“God willing the party will introduce the two candidates during a commemoration event for the late Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub this coming Wednesday in Simpang Jeram,” said the politician also known as Mat Sabu in a statement issued here.

Suhaizan is currently Johor Amanah vice-chairman and also the party’s Pulai division chief.

He is known to be politically-active prior to his appointment as the Johor state legislative Speaker from 2018 to 2022.

The 50-year-old Johor-based politician started his career as a student activist before becoming a youth leader and was later among the co-founders of Amanah in 2015.

Prior to his candidacy, Suhaizan was also the political secretary to Salahuddin under his domestic trade and cost of living ministry before his demise on July 23.

Nazri is presently the Bakri Amanah deputy division chief and also helms the party’s Simpang Jeram service centre’s economic bureau.

The 56-year old politician is also the Al-Mukir mosque committee member.

Nazri is known by the communities in the northern Johor districts of Muar and Bakri as he served in the Muar municipal council as an engineer for more than 30 years.

His name has been mentioned as a potential candidate prior to today’a announcement.

The Election Commission has fixed nomination day for both the Pulai parliament and Simpang Jeram state by-elections for August 26 and polling for September 9, while early voting on September 5.

The two by-elections were called after Salahuddin, who was the incumbent for both seats, died on July 23 due to a brain haemorrhage. He was 61.

Salahuddin was Amanah deputy president and the domestic trade and cost of living minister.